1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to collapsible structures, and in particular, to collapsible structures that can be supported on a pole.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Collapsible objects have recently become very popular. These objects have one or more panels which may be twisted and folded to reduce the overall size of the structures to facilitate convenient storage and use. As such, these collapsible objects are being enjoyed by many people in many different applications.
One such application is for use as collapsible shelters or play structures. Examples of collapsible shelters or play structures are:shown and described in the following Zheng patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,467,794, 5,560,385, 5,722,446, 5,778,915 and 5,816,954.
Another application is for use as collapsible sunshields, such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,784 (Zheng). These sunshields have two interconnecting panels that span the width of the windscreen.
Yet another application is for use as collapsible flying structures, such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,440 (Zheng).
It is an object of the present invention to provide collapsible structures or objects that can be used in new and different applications.
It is another object of the present invention to provide collapsible structures or objects that can be supported by a pole.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a collapsible umbrella.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a collapsible flag, sign or exhibit medium.
In order to accomplish the objects of the present invention, the collapsible objects according to the present invention have a panel having a foldable frame member that has a folded and an unfolded orientation, and a material covering portions of the frame member when the frame member is in the unfolded orientation, with the material assuming the unfolded orientation of its associated frame member. A pole coupled to the panel to support the panel.
In one embodiment, an attachment mechanism is coupled to an edge of the panel for coupling the panel to the pole.
In another embodiment, an opening is provided in the material of the panel, and the pole is inserted through the opening. A pole retaining sleeve is coupled to the panel and aligned with the opening to receive the pole. At least one support can be provided, with a first end coupled to the pole retaining sleeve and a second end coupled to the panel. The pole retaining sleeve has an opening, and the pole has a through-hole that is adapted to be aligned with the opening of the pole retaining sleeve, with a pin inserted through the opening of the pole retaining sleeve and the through-hole.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the frame member is collapsible to the folded position by twisting and folding to form a plurality of concentric rings and layers of material to substantially reduce the size of the panel in the folded position.